Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Latin America's Favorite US Export? Senior Citizens

    By Chad Brooks | LiveScience.com – Thu, Jan 12, 2012

    Never mind your tired and your poor: Many Latin American countries want your retired instead.

    Researchers at International Living magazine have found that countries like Ecuador and Panama are going all out to encourage American senior citizens to retirewithin their borders.

    Researchers at International Living magazine have found that Ecuador, Panama and other Latin American countries are going all out to encourage American senior citizens to retire within their borders.

    The countries have introduced a string of incentives, such as a program in Ecuador that offers seniors 50 percent discounts on a multitude of expenses and items: public and private transportation within the country, tickets for all cultural and sporting events, movies, and even utility bills.

    In Mexico, benefits include national health care coverage with a top rate of less than $300, and discounts on property taxes, airline and bus tickets, and entrance fees to concerts, museums and archaeological sites.

    "An ever-increasing number of Americans are worried about how they are going to fund their retirement," said International Living editor Eoin Bassett. "What many don't realize is that in many countries it's possible to avail of attractive benefits, live much more affordably and have access to cheaper high-quality health care."

    The Panamanian government is doing all it can in its bid to entice U.S. retirees by offering discounts on everything from travel and entertainment to prescription medicines and energy bills. Those who retire to Panama are also entitled to a one-time exemption of taxes on the importation of household goods and an exemption every two years of taxes for the importation of a car.

    The magazine put together a ranking of the best international retirement destinations, based on factors including the price of bread, the average humidity, utility costs and the friendliness of locals. Six of the top 10 are in Latin America.

    The top 10 are:

    1.     Ecuador

    2.     Panama

    3.     Mexico

    4.     Malaysia

    5.     Colombia

    6.     New Zealand

    7.     Nicaragua

    8.     Spain

    9.     Thailand

    10.   Honduras

    The full rankings of the Retirement Index 2012 can be found online at Internationalliving.com.

    This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience.

     

    14 comments

    • WAYNE
      WAYNE  •  Cleveland, Ohio  •  4 mths ago
      kind of worried about mexico! I woulnt lose my head thinking about going there!!!!!!
    • Max Shadows
      Max Shadows  •  4 mths ago
      This article is listed in the Science section of Yahoo. Somebody tell me what is so scientific about Latin America wooing U.S. retirees.
    • AmbroseBierce
      AmbroseBierce  •  4 mths ago
      This article is complete #$%$ - it has New Zealand at #6 on the list, but in fact New Zealand won't let you immigrate at all if you are over 55 unless you are a multi-millionaire willing to invest at least NZD 0.75 million (that's about $600,000) in local investments, plus have another NZD 0.5 million ($400,000) for your own needs, PLUS have an income apart from those of at least NZD 60,000 per year income completely independent of any return on the above assets. If you have all that they'll consider your application.New Zealand is definitely NOT for people "worried about how they are going to fund their retirement".
    • high tech dub
      high tech dub  •  Stanton, California  •  4 mths ago
      Not surprised the clueless idiots that usually comment about things they know nothing about are here as well. I've got a 12 acre coconut farm, 3 story apartment building, 30 student dormitory and just finished a 1,000 sq meter house on Samal Island in the Philippines. All told, I spent less than $200,000 for everything.
    • Richard
      Richard  •  Medellin, Colombia  •  4 mths ago
      I have retired in Colombia. The living expenses here are much higher than in the US but the climate is the best on the planet, and if you are single male with a little money the women are beautiful and oooooooooo so friendy!
    • happy
      happy  •  4 mths ago
      panama is allright i was there with my girlfriend for a year. the young women like being with older men (cashola) and their bodies arent packed full of gravy and mcdonalds. costs are going up, however. lunchtime special at the ho-house is $50 for 2 hours. have some 10's and 20's in your wallet for traffic "tickets".
    • Patrick
      Patrick  •  St Petersburg, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      how about guatanamo!
    • Old Geezer
      Old Geezer  •  4 mths ago
      BUT, do you speak the language/dialect fluently? If not, good luck on getting screwed!
    • seymore b
      seymore b  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  4 mths ago
      Spain is the only one worth going to...very nice place
    • Patrick
      Patrick  •  St Petersburg, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      it is great to be a corporal in ghengis khan's hordes when travelling abroad, but at this age, at this point in history i'll stay home in this greatest country and spend my retirement income where it is needed. wouldn't mind meeting a nice lady from one of those countries though.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  4 mths ago
      Sheeeit son, only reason they retire to Colombia is cheap BLOW.....CAPT AHAB
    • ken
      ken  •  New York, New York  •  4 mths ago
      Ah yes, Latin America, known for it's tropical diseases, instable regimes, lazy criminal people, and........1st class Health Care, huh? What are they thinking?
      • Dans
        Dans 4 mths ago
        Have you been there? Health care in Colombia is about as good as the US. Plenty of lazy criminal people in the US; sorry to burst your bubble.
      • ken
        ken 4 mths ago
        If I ever chose to be kidnapped, and held for ransom I of course will consider Colombia.
      • Dans
        Dans 4 mths ago
        Well, you could earmark all the money you saved on healthcare in Colombia versus the astronomical amounts you pay the lazy doctors in the US, just in case you have to pay a ransom. My Dad died in a US hospital due to a botched treatment. He walked in and never came out. I'm not impressed by the US medical system. It's a lazy criminal charlatan operation. In conjunction with the prescription drug industry, it's as good as a mafia.
    • Ian
      Ian  •  4 mths ago
      Outside of New Zealand and Spain, the rest are barely above third world status. If anyone has doubts about settling in a different part of the USA because they don't like the area; then you'll be a forever stranger in these foreign countries. These countries look at the US currency as a "hard" currency and rarely if ever let you deal in anything but their own toilet paper bills, which they'll gladly exchange at a rate you'll soon despise.
      • Dans
        Dans 4 mths ago
        Oh? What data do you have to support the claim that the rest are barely above third world status? Hollywood? Have you checked out the rankings for Human Development Index? How about the Satisfaction with Life Index? FYI Colombia outranks Spain on the Satifsfaction with Life Index, and a lot of the South American countries rank in the High Human Development Index, on a par with many Eastern European countries. Maybe educate yourself first. You might want to know that Colombia is taking immigrants coming in from Spain looking for work.
    • motley 1
      motley 1  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  4 mths ago
      all these Latin American countries want to retirees from the United States to come down there and make room for them to come up here since we paid for everything. They'll get everything for free. We go down there. We get taken over the coals, so to speak.
      You're not going to get anything out of Mexico or any other Latin American country, they just want your money. And if you're dumb enough to do down there and retire and you buy property. They'll decide they want it and they will take it just that simple. So then leave you standing there in the wilderness or so to speak. The jungle with no money and no place to live, you become part of the problem then.
      • Charles
        Charles 4 mths ago
        Sure you're not talking about a retiree from New York getting lured down to a good retirement condo deal in Miami in 2005, just before the housing bubble burst?
     Post a comment
    [ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
    [ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

    News For You

    Loading...